Caron
Nimoy "Sugaray" Rayford (born February 13, 1969) was born in Smith
County, Texas, United States, and sang at the age of seven in the
Bethel Temple Church of God In Christ in Tyler, Texas.

At the age of twelve Rayford was living in San Diego, California and
singing with the Urban Gypsys and later Aunt Kizzy's Boyz as lead
vocalist. They released their debut album "Trunk Full of Bluez"
in 2004. Their second album was "It's Tight Like That"
dropped in 2007.

His first solo album was the self-released "Blind Alley" in
2010. Rayford joined The Mannish Boys in 2011 and sang lead on
nine of the songs on their Delta Groove Productions album, "Double
Dynamite", which won "Best Traditional Blues Album" in the
2013 Blues
Music Awards.

Delta Groove released "Dangerous" on Rayford "solo" in 2013.
At the 36th Blues Music Awards, Rayford was nominated in two
categories; "B.B. King Entertainer" and "Traditional Blues Male Artist".
In May 2015, Rayford self-released "Southside".

On September 1, 2017, Rayford released his latest album, "The
World That We Live In", which Blues Critic chose as the #1 album
in their annual "Top 10 Retro-Soul/Soul
Blues Albums" list. As of writing the album and/or Rayford has
been nominated for four Blues Music Awards for the 39th annual Blues
Music Awards in 2018

***There's plenty of
adequate blues bar bands on the West Coast but how many of them got
a shot at the next level? Alls I know for certain is that
California-based Aunt Kizzy's Boyz is one of them. I've heard a lot
of hot shot guitarists and tight rhythm sections at pubs, clubs,
festivals, weddings, Bar Mitzvah's (okay, maybe not) but if you
ain't got a great singer you ain't got this critic's ear. Well, the
Boyz got themselves a serious blues-shouter who goes by the name
Sugaray Rayford. Hailing from Tyler Texas, Sugaray possesses one of
those powerful ,gospel-soaked voices that can take the meekest of
songs and improve it. He and his mates start their debut disc,
"Trunk Full Of Bluez", on the good foot with a ripping 12-bar blues
shuffle called "Jelly Roll". Sugaray comes-a-wailing' and guitarist
Jim King shreds mightily over the racing groove, courtesy of bassist
Joe Sciavone and drummer Duane Hathorn. Equally hot is track 2, B.B.
King's "You Upset Me", which adds Teddy Andreas on B-3 and Bill
Kilpatrick on keys. It's one of six covers and 7 appropriately
derivative originals, including the fantastic Staxy soul/blues
"Right On" and a smoky slowie ("Big Legged Woman"). Sugarar
occasionally sounds like early Joe Cocker. Axeman King also sings
and he handles vocals on a rousing "Route 66" and the disc's only
weak spot- a tedious reading of Bob Dylan's "All Along The
Watchtower". The latter along with the mellow instrumental "Hands
Turned Upward" simply stick out like a giant white head on the tip
of your schnoz. This 14-track collection would rate higher sans
these two cuts. Better covers are found in the Zydeco-peppered "Got
My Mojo Working" and their show stopping version of Albert King's
"Rub My Back". This track sizzles! Dare I say it even eclipses
King's version and this is coming from a serious Albert King
admirer! I gotta catch these "boyz" live.

1 Southside of Town
2 Miss Thang
3 Live to Love Again
4 Texas Bluesman
5 Take It to the Bank
6 Call Off the Mission
7 All I Think About
8 Take Away These Blues
9 Slow Motion

"The World We Live In" (Transistor Sound 2017)

***** I first became aware of
Rayford when he joined The Mannish Boys and was a featured vocalist on their 2012 "Double
Dynamite" project for the Delta Groove Productions label (Update: It initially slipped my notice but my
first exposure to Sugaray was my March 2006
review of the Aunt Kizzy's Boyz album "Trunk Full Of Bluez" where I wrote: "If
you ain't got a great singer you ain't got this critic's ear. Well, the Boyz got
themselves a serious blues-shouter who goes by the name Sugaray Rayford".)
Delta Groove gave Rayford his own album in 2014, "Dangerous". Needless to say Rayford's
husky voice and the label's brand of musicians created a rollicking album. There
was some R&B on that album along with Blues lumps, shuffles, acoustic pieces but
no real Soul songs so I didn't include it on our "Best Of 2014" list. "The
World We Live In" is the album I was hoping he'd make. The title cut
features choppy verses and a gorgeous almost Jazzy chorus about the troubled
times we live in. The leadoff cut is a Funky mover with a rip-roaring vocal and
yes oh yes that tasty horn n' organ marriage. They were made for each other. I was
floored by how much Rayford sounds like Benny Latimore on "What Do We Own",
"Home Again" and "Keep Moving"-only harder edged. Then came the Latimore cover,
"Dig A Little Deeper" and I exclaimed: "Aw yes. Gotcha". I ain't the only who
noticed. Latimore should align himself with this same set of producers, pickers
and players. Blues
Critic chose this album as the #1 album in their annual "Top 10 Retro-Soul/Soul
Blues Albums" list in 2017.